For a long time now, pets has been a part of people's lives - they are already like family to us. Most people get cats and dogs for pets - sometimes, fishes or birds. But, I rarely see people (at least in my place) who have rabbits as pets.
Why?
They probably think rabbits are expensive
And that rabbit is not a typical pet
I have been a rabbit mommy for 7 months now. And let me tell you, a rabbit is such a very nice pet. Yes, they are a lot different than cats and dogs but, just like cats and dogs, they are also overloaded with cuteness.
If you are thinking about getting a rabbit for a pet, well, this blog might help you. If you are also a rabbit mommy, well, I guess you could relate to this blog. Whichever you are between the two, I hope you will enjoy this.
Okay, so now, let's start the list:
1. They are very sensitive
Rabbits are naturally prey animals so, they easily get scared and think that everybody is trying to eat them. They are very sensitive of sounds - just a little sound of you hitting a pen on the table is enough to scare them. Well, I guess this all make sense since they have huge ears so, they probably could hear a lot better than humans do. They easily get scared of unknown smell or even an unknown shadow.
In this video, you will see that my rabbits are eating peacefully and then all of a sudden, they heard a little sound and the rabbit just stopped eating wondering what the sound was.
What to do?
As a rabbit owner, you need to train be there for them to watch them and try to pet them when they feel scared. This way, they will have the confidence that with you, everything will be alright. Also, when they're still young, try to expose them to sounds like a banging door, a barking dog, a meowing cat, or some of the everyday sounds but, be sure to be with them and if they are too scared of it, make sure to not do it as often. Slowly, introduce to them the sounds. Also, if you can, try to provide them a tiny box as their hideout - a place where they can run to when they get scared.
2. They are very fragile
Rabbits are animals that you need to really handle with care. They aren't like cats or dogs where you can just grab them anytime and however you like to grab them. Rabbits easily get stressed out and this is the number one cause of their death.
What to do?
If you are planning to buy a rabbit for your kid, well, better think twice. Kids and rabbits are kind of off together. Kids can be really aggressive and rabbits are such fragile beings. Keep them out of children without your guidance. And if yo try to carry them, be very gentle. If you will pet them, pet them only in the head and try to massage their heads, cheeks, and ears. They don't like being pet on their backs and also, petting their backs could also be dangerous for them. Be very gentle in petting them or you might accidentally break a bone.
When I had my first pair of rabbits, I wasn't too strict about touching them and petting them until one day, I got home and saw one of my rabbits cannot walk anymore.
Her legs doesn't seem to have strength to walk anymore and she isn't eating at all. I am not sure exactly what happened to him but I was guessing he got traumatized or scared about something. I got really scared thinking she might die on me and that is the least thing I would ever want happening. My brother told me she won't have any chance of survival already but I was persistent. I keep letting her drink water with dextrose powder and I blended Malunggay leaves and then put it in a syringe and fed her like that. Luckily, after few days, she was getting better and now, she already gave birth to two little bunnies.
3. They can be expensive
Well, talking about the cost, it actually depends on the rabbit breed you want to have. As for me, I have two breed of rabbits now. The first rabbits I got were the New Zealand rabbits and they are only cheap. Their prices can range from 600-800 pesos per pair (12 - 16 dollars per pair).
The second pair of rabbits which I just got 2 days ago were the Lion head rabbits and they can range from 1800 - 2000 pesos per pair (36 - 40 dollars per pair).
Well, if you're going to think of it, rabbits are still way cheaper than high-breed cats or dogs.
4. They poop and pee A LOT!
Sure, they do. They seem to be like a poop and pee machine. They can literally poop while hopping around! And they're not the typical pets to sleep in bed with just like cats and dogs because I don't think you want to wake up in a poop pool, right? Luckily, their poop are dry and aren't smelly. If they are still baby, their poop just kind of look like black peppers. When they're adults, their poop kind of looks like the pearls in a milk tea. (Sorry for the weird comparison. 😊) Unfortunately, their pee are smelly. Well, their pee kind of smell like baby pee.
What to do?
You can litter train them. Rabbits are easy pets to litter train since naturally, they wanted to always poop and pee in the same place as long as you litter train them the right way. My adult bunnies, I litter trained them and they already poop and pee on the litter boxes I provided them but, they are only used to do that when they are in the cage. When I put them in the house and they couldn't smell their litter box, they still pee and poop around everywhere! But, nothing to worry though, their poop can be cleaned easily.
5. They need more attention
Unlike cats and dogs, bunnies need more attention. They like it when you keep talking to them - it relaxes them and make them feel good. They can recognize your voice and their owner's voice is like music to their cute long ears. Also, you need to always make sure they have water since it is most essential to them for they easily get dehydrated. You need to always make sure their cages are clean enough for them not to get stressed out.
Looking back at the things I wrote, it kind of seem more on the negative sides but hey, trust me, having a pet bunny is like the nicest in the world! These things I wrote here are just things you need to get yourself ready about when getting a pet rabbit.
Rabbits are so tiny but they do have such big hearts. Just earlier, my lionhead bunny, Nely approached me and just kissed me. She's so adorable. And just by looking at them, I can't help but smile.
I hope you were able to learn something from my blog. Let me just say, I am not an expert at taking care of bunnies. These are just my observations so far on having pet bunnies. I hope it'll help you on what to look forward to when getting a pet rabbit.
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Love lots,
Jane ❤️❤️
They are cute wee things, why not breed them , I see lots of people breeding for food. I know you won't as you love them. Great article Jane